JD(U), RJD leaders favour merger to take on BJP in Bihar

Patna: Senior Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders on Thursday spoke out in identical tones advocating for merger of the two parties at the earliest to jointly take on a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly election next year.

"Our senior leaders have publicly expressed commitment on merger of the two parties as well other constituents of the Janata Parivar to take on the BJP at the national level. The process must be expedited now," state JD(U) president Bashishtha Narayan Singh told reporters.

With the BJP extending its victory run to Jharkhand, it's time that the leadership of Janata Parivar constituents fast-track the merger process, he said, adding that it would require ratification by the executive bodies of the two parties to formalise merger and formation of a new political outfit.

The state JD(U) president said the merger process would start as early as possible amid buzz that the top leaders of the RJD and JD(U) were planning to complete merger process by January-end next year.

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddique also spoke in the same vein and said RJD and JD(U) should formalise merger at the earliest and also take on board the Congress as a partner to fight the BJP.

Siddique, the RJD Legislature Party Leader in the assembly, said taking Congress along would put up a strong challenge to the BJP's bid to attain power in Bihar.